Hydraulic power device



W. R. MORRIS Filed July 22, 1932 HYDRAUL I C POWER DEV I CE fll NUhH"Hill a mi: m I 3 .m w

Oct. 27, 1936.

Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in hydraulic power devices generally, and more particularly to a device for utilizing the force from the current of flowing streams, or placed under a confined head by a pipe or other conduit.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a mechanism adapted to be installed in a current of water or at a fall for the purpose of generating a maximum of power from the force and pressure of the water and with the minimum of power lost in the mechanism in the form of friction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a water turbine or motor for developing power wherein the thrust is equalized and applied in opposite directions, thus eliminating the necessity for thrust bearings and the consequent loss in efiiciency due to the friction of said bearings.

With the foregoing and other equally important objects in view, the invention resides in certain new and useful combinations, constructions and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described and set out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates and forms a part of the specification and throughout the several figures of which the same characters of reference have been employed to designate identical parts:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a power device which may be a motor or a pump embodying the features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side sectional view of the same;

Figure 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of Figure 2.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the pump or motor comprises a shaft I adapted to be supported in suitable bearings 2 at opposite ends of a casing 3 and which may be placed in any desired position either vertical or horizontal or having any degree of inclination. Along the shaft at suitable intervals are the pump or motor units 4 and for convenience in describing these, they will hereinafter be referred to as pumping units, it being understood of course that the construction is the same whether they be employed as pumps or motors, the only difference being that they are operated through the velocity of the current while in the other they are operated by some extraneous source of power and in turn impart velocity to a current of liquid. Each of the units comprises pairs of vanes 5, each vane having a shape approximating that of the vane 5 shown in Figure 4. The vanes are arranged in diametrically opposed pairs on the shaft I, the vanes of a pair being inclined in opposite directions so that water impinging upon said vanes produces an accumulative rotary effect upon the shaft by balancing the shaft since the effect is equal on opposite sides thereof. In the illustrative embodiment of the invention, there are two pairs of vanes in each unit, the diametrical axes of the pairs being perpendicular. The units 4 are displaced on the shaft 6 through such an angle that the trailing edges of the vanes of one unit discharge upon the leading edges of the vanes of that pair of vanes of the adjacent unit which lies perpendicular to the pair from which the discharged liquid is received. This arrangement assures a thoroughly balanced torque, prevents vibration and imparts greater efficiency and longer life to the apparatus.

The vanes of adjacent units are preferably joined at their outer peripheral corners as indicated at 6 in Figure 2. In the embodiment of the invention as shown, water enters the central point of the casing 3 by way of an inlet conduit 1. The vanes are arranged on the shaft l in opposite directions beginning at the middle and extending toward each end so that the column which enters at the middle and divides, flowing toward each end of the casing, will have a uni-directional rotary effect upon the shaft I. In View of the reverse inclination of the vanes on either side of the middle, the thrust of the water will be balanced and consequently there will be no end thrust upon the shaft l At opposite ends of the casing 3 are outlets which may take the form of return bends 8 and 9, communicating with an outlet manifold I0 discharging by way of the conduit H.

In order to assure an even division of the water and to effect an efficient change in the direction of the impinging column, the space between the adjacent oppositely inclined vanes in the middle of the impeller is filled in as indicated at l2 in Figure 2 with triangular inserts forming a bucket in which the entering column of water is received and by which it is impartially divided through the oppositely directed channels l3 and I4.

While I have in the above description disclosed what I believe to be a preferred and practical embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the details of construction as illustrated and described are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described the invention what is claimed is:

1. Hydraulic engine comprising a shaft, vane units on said shaft, each unit comprising vanes arranged in diametrical pairs, the vanes of a pair being oppositely inclined and the vanes of adjacent units being joined at the tips, forming discharge spaces between adjacent units widening progressively inwardly from the periphery of said vanes, and the units being so displaced that the trailing edges of the vanes of one unit discharge on the vanes of the next units adjacent the leading edges thereof, the vanes from the middle of the shaft to the opposite ends being oppositely inclined, the pair of adjacent oppositely inclined vanes at the middle being joined, forming a bucket, a casing surrounding said shaft and vane units, an inlet adjacent the middle of said casing for admitting fluid to said bucket and outlets at the ends of said casing.

2. Hydraulic engine comprising a shaft, vane units on said shaft, each comprising a plurality of vanes, circumferentialy arranged, and the vanes of adjacent units being joined at the tips, forming discharge spaces between adjacent units widening progressively inwardly from the periphery of said vanes, the units being so displaced that the trailing edges of the vanes of one unit discharge on the vanes of the next unit adjacent the leading edges thereof, the vanes from the middle of the shaft to the opposite ends being oppositely inclined, the pair of adjacent oppositely inclined vanes at the middle being joined to form a bucket, a casing surrounding said shaft and vane units, said casing having an inlet at the middle for supplying fiuid to said bucket and having discharge conduits at its ends.

WILLIAM ROY MORRIS. 

